This invention relates to heat exchangers and, more particularly, to heat exchangers of the cross-fin type and the method of making the same.
It is a primary object of the present invention to afford a novel cross-fin type of heat exchanger, and a novel method of making the same.
Another object of the present invention is to afford a novel cross-fin type of heat exchanger embodying a plurality of tubes spaced laterally from each other in a transverse direction and mounted in a plurality of spaced sets of assemblies of cross-fins, with the portions of the tubes between adjacent sets of fins being bent in the aforementioned transverse direction to thereby dispose the aforementioned adjacent sets of fins at an angle to each other which is less than 180 degrees.
A further object of the present invention is to afford a novel method of making a cross-fin type of heat exchanger of the last mentioned type.
Heat exchangers, embodying tubes mounted in a plurality of spaced sets of cross-fins, with adjacent sets of cross-fins disposed at an angle to each other which is less than 180 degrees, have been commonly known and used for some time. For example, they have been heretofore used in central home air conditioner units of the so-called "doghouse" type, that are disposed outside of a home; and in heat pump units of the aforementioned "doghouse" type. In such units, the sets of fins have been disposed in different positions relative to each other, such as, for example, two sets of cross-fins being disposed at such an angle to each other as to afford a substantially V-shaped heat exchanger, or three sets of cross-fins disposed at 90-degree angles to each other to afford a substantially U-shaped heat exchanger. Such heat exchangers have also had other applications, such as, for example, being used in refrigeration units, such as, for example, in walk-in coolers and reach-in coolers, and the like.
Heretofore, in many instances, when such types of heat exchangers, embodying laterally spaced tubes mounted in spaced, anglarly-disposed sets of fins, have been used, they have been made by mounting individual tubes in respective sets of assembled cross-fins and then connecting the individual tubes together by mounting and securing thereon separate bent portions of tubing. In other instances, such heat exchangers have been heretofore made with bends between adjacent sets of fin assemblies being made as an integral part of the tubes mounted in those fin assemblies. However, heretofore, heat exchangers of the last mentioned type have commonly been manufactured by first mounting the tubes at the outer side of the heat exchanger in their own spaced assemblies of spaced fins; similarly mounting the tubes at the inner side of the heat exchanger in their own group of spaced assemblies of spaced fins; independently bending each set of tubes around its own radius; and then assembling the two independent sets of tubes and fins together, into nested relation to each other, with the fins in each assembly on one set of tubes being interleafed with fins in a corresponding assembly on the other set of tubes. Such construction has several inherent disadvantages, such as, for example, the fact that the thus nested fins commonly are not properly aligned with each other in the completed heat exchanger; and the spacing between adjacent fins commonly is close, such as, for example, being in the nature of ten fins to an inch, so that it is difficult, at best, to assemble two such sets of fins in a manner wherein the spacing is uniform throughout the assembled set of fins. It is an important object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages heretofore common in the art with respect to both the construction and the method of making such shaped heat exchangers.
The primary reason why individual sets of tubes and fins were first independently assembled, then bent, and then assembled with respect to each other, when heat exchangers of the aforementioned type, embodying integrally formed bends, were heretofore made in the art, is that the laterally spaced tubes, which were disposed inwardly and outwardly relative to each other in the direction of the bend were bent around two different radii, and it was difficult, if not impossible, as a practical matter, commercially, to assemble the two sets of tubes in the same sets of fins and then bend the two sets of tubes around the different radii.
It is another object of the present invention to afford a novel method of making a heat exchanger embodying laterally spaced sets of tubes disposed in spaced sets of fins, and with the portions of the tubes disposed between adjacent sets of fins bent so as to dispose the adjacent sets of fins at an angle to each other less than 180 degrees, wherein both sets of tubes may first be mounted in the same spaced sets of fins and the portions of the tubes between adjacent sets of fins may then be bent in a novel and expeditious manner so as to dispose the adjacent sets of fins at an angle relative to each other which is less than 180 degrees.
An object ancillary to the foregoing is to afford a novel method of making such a heat exchanger wherein the portions of each of the sets of tubes that are bent so as to dispose the adjacent sets of fins at the aforementioned angles relative to each other are bent around the same radii.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a novel cross-fin type of heat exchanger which is practical and efficient in operation, and which may be readily and economically produced commercially.
A further object of the present invention is to afford a novel method of making a cross-fin type of heat exchanger, which method is practical and efficient and may be readily used commercially.
Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, by way of illustration, show the preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principles thereof and what we now consider to be the best mode in which we have contemplated applying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.